LANSING – The Capital Region International Airport is attempting to secure a direct passenger flight to Xiamen, China, a coastal city along the Taiwan Strait with a population of nearly 2 million. The weekly charter flight would not only help the airport but stimulate business ties between Michigan and China, said Chris Holman, chair of the Capital Region Airport Authority.

“We want China to have access to the Midwest, and Lansing is the most logical place to do that,” Holman said. “We’re selling Lansing as a destination because what they know is New York, Chicago, Los Angeles.”